Peter L. Stine, merchant, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was born in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, 26 July 1827, the son of John P. Stine and Regina [Coleman] Stine.
Frederick Stine, the grandfather, was born in Germany, and received his education in his native land, where he also learned the trade of stone mason. He came to America in 1781, landed at Philadelphia and settled in Montgomery County, where he worked at his trade and later removed to Dauphin County. He married Abigail Lamb, who died in 1804. Their children are:
John P. Stine;
Elizabeth Stine, deceased, Mrs. Andrew Riegle;
Rosina Stine, deceased, Mrs. John Coleman; and
Catherine Stine, deceased, Mrs. John Dietz.
The father, John P. Stine, was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in 1784. At the age of four years, his parents settled in Lykens Township, where he grew to manhood and was educated in the subscription schools of the time. His death occurred on the old homestead, 17 August 1854. His wife was born in Lykens Township, August 1795. She was Regina Coleman, daughter of Charles Coleman, and died at the home of her daughter, Elizabeth Ritzman, Gratz, Pennsylvania, in October 1878. Their children are:
Catherine Stine, deceased, wife of Henry Moyer, and afterwards of Peter Moyer;
Frederick Stine, died aged seventeen years;
Helen Stine, deceased, wife of James Glenn;
John Stine, died in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania;
Daniel P. Stine, Lykens Township, saddler and farmer;
Elizabeth Stine, widow of Daniel Ritzman;
Abigail Stine, wife of Joseph D. Frank, Pottsville, Pennsylvania;
Peter L. Stine;
Charles Stine, located in Perry County and died there in 1893;
Jonas Stine, engineer on the Reading Railroad at Pottsville;
Isaac Stine, died aged fifteen months;
Anna Maria Stine, died aged eleven months; and
Josiah P. Stine, farmer and tanner, Washington Township.
Peter L. Stine acquired his education in the common schools. At the age of twenty-one he opened a flour and feed store, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, which proved unsuccessful as a business venture, losing him his entire investment. He managed to pay his debts and resumed work on the home farm with his father, who sold him ninety acres of wild land, which he cleared up and improved, and which, in 1854, he sold to his brother Daniel P. Stine. He bought from his father a half interest in the farm and mill property in Washington Township, and ran the mill with his brother in connection with farming until 1871, the firm being P. L. and C. Stine. In 1871, they admitted to partnership George Deibler and continued one year, when Deibler died. He bought Deibler’s interest, who had also, before his death, obtained his brother’s interest, and continued the business alone until 1873, when he admitted Harry Herman as a partner. He continued this partnership until 1885, when he sold his interest to Nathaniel Miller, and opened his present store, buying the property and putting in a new general stock of goods, and has since continued the business. He was appointed government store keeper and ganger and had the position until a change of administration, during which time he saved from his income $27,000. But he later met with adversity, losing in 1876 and 1877, $21,000, which did not discourage him, but impelled him to renewed energy and enterprise.
Mr. Stine was married in Upper Paxton Township, 17 December 1850, to Miss Elizabeth Buffington, a native of Gratz, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Major Jacob Buffington. She died 15 May 1893. She was a devout member of the Lutheran church, and much interested in all charitable work, and a loving and faithful wife and mother. Their children are:
Ellen R. Stine, Mrs. George Diebler;
Sarah L. Stine, wife of D. J. Deibler;
Isaac F. Stine;
Catherine Stine, deceased;
Peter Stine;
David Stine;
John J. Stine;
Harry W. Stine;
Carrie Stine, Mrs. Charles F. Cooper; and
Samuel J. Stine.
Mr. Peter L. Stine is a Democrat and is serving as a school director. In 1875, and again in 1877, he was elected county commissioner, but was counted out both times. He was an elder in the Reformed church for many years and takes an active interest in Sunday-school matters.
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The above information was modified/edited from Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, published in 1896 by J. M. Runk and Company of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A free download is available from the Internet Archive.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
See also:
Findagrave Memorial #105359165. Peter L. Stine died on 10 November 1902 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He is buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Elizabethville.